Why 95 exit changes?

Submitted by MadLove1348 t3_yx1qh0 in RhodeIsland

Does anyone know why they changed the exits on 95? I think now they match up to the mile marker, but what exactly is the point of this or reason they wanted to change it?

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RenoSinNombre t1_iwmcr61 wrote

It's a federal mandate, and they can lose funding if the don't comply.

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pocketfood t1_iwmdci1 wrote

Bingo. It's to provide consistency from state to state, RI didn't get a choice.

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Proof-Variation7005 t1_iwmpr43 wrote

The part that irritates me about the federal rule is that it was made in 2009 when smartphone ownership was like 15% in America and even those people had to pay extra for GPS capability, but it is pretty hard to not see where that technology was heading.

The scalability of exits makes total sense. This idea that now people know how far until their exit is just federal officials doing a remarkably terrible job at reading the room a little.

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Firebird22x t1_iwngi61 wrote

This way makes more sense in the long run, it’s easier math.

If there’s no traffic and I’m at exit 4, and I need to get off exit 28, I’m driving 24 miles.

As long as I’m driving around 60, which most people do, you’ll get to that exit in about 24 minutes

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[deleted] t1_iwnjhkp wrote

[deleted]

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psyguy45 t1_iwnjlzc wrote

Most people driving around 60mph?! Clearly you don’t live in Rhode Island 😂🤣

Edit: for clarity

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Firebird22x t1_iwnk97t wrote

Hah I could take this both ways. Rush hour definitely less. Normal day, sure south of EG you’re doing 75-80, but I’d say it averages out.

Driving from my mother in law’s in Westerly to Cranston when we lived there it was a pretty consistent 45 minutes. 10 on backroads, 30-35 highway (which is right in line with 31 to 33 for the Cranston exit now)

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BoMbSqUAdbrigaDe t1_iwnkuk9 wrote

You're going the wrong way.

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Firebird22x t1_iwnkykf wrote

I’m not sure what you mean

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BoMbSqUAdbrigaDe t1_iwnlww7 wrote

Ok how bout this...... You're going the wrong wayyyyyyyyy. It's a reference that didn't hit once, so I doubt it will make sense to you. .

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Firebird22x t1_iwnm6yd wrote

Assuming it’s from planes trains and automobiles (at least that’s what came up), I haven’t seen that yet unfortunately.

I have seen clips that were pretty good, I probably should give it a watch

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KennyWuKanYuen t1_iwntagf wrote

That’s pretty slow… I think I’ve made it back from Westerly to PVD in 30-35 minutes a few years back. Hell, I made it back from IKEA to PVD in 33 minutes.

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TheDominoEffectEST89 t1_iwqzta7 wrote

I've gotten to Providence from Newport in 35 minutes. I have chronic lead foot syndrome with a perfect driving record. No tickets, nadaaaa. Got to Narragansett from Pawtucket yesterday in about 25. When you get in the fast lane, I looked down at my odometer, at one point on I-95S, I'm 4th of a train of 6 cars all going the same-ish speed. That speed being 96mph by the exits down by Warwick 😅 WE GO VROOM VROOM and we had a Honda Pilot pass allllll of us while he was chitchatting away on his phone. 😅 #RIDrivingPros

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KennyWuKanYuen t1_iwr0fyf wrote

As long as you use your indicators I’m perfectly happy. XD

It feels like I’m not even moving when I’m going 50-60. 70 seems normal and 90 feels like I’m moving. I don’t know how people manage to drive so slow AND have no situational awareness. Like you see a fast car coming up behind , you’d think “oh let them go merge over”, but nope they’re like “I’m going to brake right when you get close and there’s nothing in front of me to brake for.”

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SpEcIaLoPs9999 t1_iwmrsqv wrote

Exactly, as a (younger) driver that relies on gps everytime on 95 the exit changes barely registered

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Proof-Variation7005 t1_iwmtw27 wrote

The only real way it’s impacted me is when I see an electronic road sign telling me “roadwork at exit <new number>” in Providence.

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breakinghbts t1_iwmudhd wrote

And it means nothing because what the hell is exit 37? I certainly dont know the new exits. Nor do i care to learn. Haha.

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TheDominoEffectEST89 t1_iwr066e wrote

37 will forever be 22 in my heart. My exit is 21 for work and 26 for home. Exit 40?! Ewww, You mean exit 26.

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__CarCat__ t1_iwnlpnw wrote

Looking at your GPS is not only an often annoyingly inaccurate but also very dangerous thing, why would the federal rule encourage phone usage over reading the signs they spend so much money on? Not every issue has a tech solution. A sign for exit 4 will always tell me "ok I'm 20 miles from exit 24" instead of wondering and looking through my phone.

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TheDominoEffectEST89 t1_iwr09jo wrote

I've lived in RI for almost 9 years now and rarely have to use a GPS, I love the freedom 🥰🥰🥰🥰

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Proof-Variation7005 t1_iwnoso5 wrote

Idk what to tell ya about the inaccuracy beyond that you might be due for a phone and/or cell carrier upgrade.

As for looking at the phone? If a person needs to do that, we're talking 1-2 seconds maximum to be able to see it. Probably less if it's just "see how long before their exit is"

Most people would just relying on the lady telling you this information as needing to even see the phone.

Not to mention that for most modern cars, you don't even need to have a phone to have a functioning GPS. It's a rpetty common feature that's going to be more common than having a traditional radio within a decade of now.

&#x200B;

>Not every issue has a tech solution.

Except for every solved problem is the entire history of humanity, sure.

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classicrock40 t1_iwmp8t4 wrote

required since 2009 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exit_numbers_in_the_United_States

MA is finally (mostly? all?) done and there was much complaining.

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PhishPhanKara t1_iwmv0lw wrote

And I think RI is last? Or close to last because, of course we are 🤣

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kdex86 t1_iwo2dja wrote

Nope. New Hampshire and Delaware still are 100% sequential exits. Vermont also “cut corners”, adding small “milepoint exit xx” signs on their highways but predominantly displaying the sequential numbers.

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nick-j- t1_iwol0e8 wrote

Connecticut dosent yet either, well at least their main highways besides 395.

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kdex86 t1_iwq61tz wrote

CT and NY are dragging their feet. Each state has converted at least 1 Interstate highway to mile-based exits, but most other highways are still sequential.

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PhishPhanKara t1_iwo2ob7 wrote

Interesting, thank you for that info! I would have expected us to be dead last for sure!

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monkysandtools t1_iwsafv4 wrote

CT did it half assed on their resignage (a friend is constantly on RT9 and mentioned the conflicting numbering)

As for VT, it seems rather silly along I-89 and I-91 (which are ~130 miles each) when's there only 20 something exits along each highway

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sporkemon t1_iwmwqg6 wrote

hey, the example of the old sequential style with mile tabs on top is 295! we're relevant!

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kdex86 t1_iwo27sg wrote

Massachusetts completed all of their exit renumbering in 10 months, from October 2020 to August 2021. Rhode Island, meanwhile, started in 2017 with I-295 and finally completed every highway when they finished I-95 earlier this month.

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FAYCSB t1_iwmexl6 wrote

If you’re not familiar with the area, exit numbers that indicate miles give you a lot more information than just an ordinal.

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GotenRocko t1_iwmk95t wrote

Also makes it easier to add a new exit in the future, dont have to change any other exit numbers.

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degggendorf t1_iwmmynv wrote

With the one exception being if you add an exit within the same mile as another, then you need to add letters.

But that's also what they did before, like exits 6 and 6a (now 18 and 19).

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HairyEyeballz t1_iwmjm22 wrote

I-95 through Connecticut always throws me off. They seem to follow the mile marker paradigm, right up until they don't.

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iandavid t1_iwoeuze wrote

The maddening thing about I-95 in Connecticut is that there are actually 93 exits along the 111 miles between Rhode Island and New York. So they seem like milepost exits, but there’s really just that many of them.

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Proof-Variation7005 t1_iwmnc1f wrote

If you're not familiar with the area, you're already using a GPS.

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degggendorf t1_iwn5c7c wrote

A GPS still doesn't tell you how many miles you've been in a state nor how many miles until the next exit.

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Proof-Variation7005 t1_iwna7v3 wrote

>A GPS still doesn't tell you how many miles you've been in a state nor how many miles until the next exit.

True. The 2nd part is helpful. Unless you've got a special song or celebration for being 69 miles into a state, I don't see why anyone would need to know the first part.

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degggendorf t1_iwnf7ra wrote

Do you not like understanding your progress in a trip? Counting down miles until your next state line seems like a pretty normal thing to do, doesn't it? Is it just me?

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Proof-Variation7005 t1_iwnfnzi wrote

I prefer the "this machine says I'm 45 minutes away, I'm shooting for 42 minutes" beat the clock challenge.

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degggendorf t1_iwns9p5 wrote

Do you program in state lines as destinations?

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KennyWuKanYuen t1_iwnsxg9 wrote

So I’m not alone. Measuring distance with distance feels weird. Measuring distance with time feels more natural.

Was in D.C. with friends one time and I said that shop’s about 5-10 minutes away. They were like how far is that? I told 5-10 minutes and they were so confused. I got confused when he told me the distance with mileage and I was like that gives me no context of how far it is.

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RedditSkippy t1_iwmvxj0 wrote

It’s a Federal law. New England dragged its feet on complying.

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geffe71 t1_iwn12yc wrote

Federal mandate. Easier to call in an exit number based on mile marker in an emergency

Also, if they were to add exits, they don’t need to fuck with the existing exit numbers

Example: Old exit 15 and 16 are miles apart, now they are exits 37 and 47. If they add an exit its based on miles so it could be exit 42 instead of fucking with the lower numbers

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Rickshmitt t1_iwmmnf7 wrote

It does make sense. Gonna be annoying for a few years. Exit 25 old exit 3

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12stringPlayer t1_iwn2n40 wrote

Not for me - I'll still be off Exit 1!

I'm waiting for the sign on 95S to change from "No Exit 4" to "No Exit 12 (old No Exit 4)

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darthduder666 t1_iwnc2g6 wrote

Dude Exit 1 here too. Our exit falls around 0.4 miles. So technically our exit should be Exit 0 if they’re following the rounding rules. 😂

I was hoping they’d make it Exit 0 because that would just be badass.

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Rickshmitt t1_iwn3fbb wrote

Lol. We will all bond over No exit 4. Also i think theres a local band by that name

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kdex86 t1_iwo2qc6 wrote

I’m pretty sure any and all “no exit xx” signs were removed, as they were tied to a sequential system.

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monkysandtools t1_iwsb2wy wrote

The last time I check "No Exit 17" is still up over at RT10

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kdex86 t1_iwssp6x wrote

That could confuse drivers, as it’s between exits 33 and 35 now.

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lazydictionary t1_iwn6ref wrote

Who the fuck uses exit numbers as a local? I just look at the city/town name or know what exit to take without seeing the number at all

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darthduder666 t1_iwnc89m wrote

That is very Rhode Island of you dude.

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lazydictionary t1_iwnm3xk wrote

I've lived in Colorado, Texas, and upstate NY - I've never used exit numbers unless it was a road trip.

I don't understand why locals would complain about exit numbers. There are people out there who really memorized "I take exit 6" and if they don't they'll miss their turn?

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Firebird22x t1_iwnhkoc wrote

Growing up in Jersey that was a main way of knowing where someone was from if you’re in another area.

You’re from Linden? I’m not sure where that is. Oh exit 136 off the Parkway? That’s only like 15 miles from me, yeah we should meet up some time

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mrfyh0627 t1_iwn2ja7 wrote

Be like Vermont, best of both worlds

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degggendorf t1_iwn5kg1 wrote

So busy, holy cow. If they're going through the effort of adding all those 'milepoint' signs, why not just change the numbers?

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KennyWuKanYuen t1_iwnshb0 wrote

This is the type of compromise that I don’t get why other states won’t adapt. You keep your old signage and you still comply with new regulations.

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mrfyh0627 t1_iwo40q5 wrote

Exactly, but look at our state government who can’t even fix the roads. My expectations are low

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kdex86 t1_iwo2uyc wrote

They clearly cut corners. MA and RI actually changed their exit numbers but added small “old exit xx” signs for those who resist change.

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mrfyh0627 t1_iwo44n6 wrote

Feel like the Vermont way saves more money plus those yellow signs are too tiny and they will eventually go away

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Immaeachoo t1_iwpesym wrote

Love how they need to have the signs saying what the exit # used to be... The one saying OLD 25 made me think of Leonardo DiCaprio

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overthehillhat t1_iwnee0v wrote

always think of the route # or the street name of each exit -

That hasn't changed since their inception-

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vodkanipples t1_iwnv5e5 wrote

Who uses exist numbers? Don't we all say things like "take the Atwood ave exist or take a left were Benny's used to be"? Or even "get off onto Rte 2, pass 2 dunkins and it's on the right "?

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6ixg0ddess t1_iwnrjcq wrote

You answered yourself. They did it so the exit numbers match up with the corresponding mile marker .. and to spend our tax dollars on irrelevant things.

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shadowcaster11 t1_iwmtz76 wrote

Signs are union made and union installed. There was no reason to change them

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Coincel_pro t1_iwmy4fz wrote

Except for all of the other federally mandated reasons above that were given before you posted this.

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LateToSapphos t1_iwmn47y wrote

They needed an easy way to launder money through the state again

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